We can now use Visual Studio 2012 to create and edit SQL Server BI projects! Woo Hoo.
In the past, if you wanted to develop and maintain BI projects in the same development environment as other Visual Studio projects, you had to install multiple versions of Visual Studio. This may no longer be necessary if you install the new Business Intelligence for Visual Studio 2012 (SSDT BI). This tool does two things: Projects created in Visual Studio 2010 can be opened in Visual Studio 2012 and the other way around without upgrading or downgrading. It also includes project themes that allow you to change the colors, backgrounds and look and feel of the designers. You can switch back and forth between metro and classic style themes, among other UI styles.
The announcement from Kasper De Jonge is on the Analysis Services & PowerPivot Blog:
In Brief:
SQL Server Data Tools – Business Intelligence for Visual Studio 2012 released online
Today we are releasing SQL Server Data Tools – Business Intelligence for Visual Studio 2012 (SSDT BI) templates. With SSDT BI for Visual Studio 2012 you can develop and deploy SQL Server Business intelligence projects. Projects created in Visual Studio 2010 can be opened in Visual Studio 2012 and the other way around without upgrading or downgrading – it just works.
The download/install is named to ensure you get the SSDT templates that contain the Business Intelligence projects. The setup for these tools is now available from the web and can be downloaded in multiple languages right here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?id=36843
